How it all got started

In the wake of the 2020 global pandemic, Black and Brown men across the country were processing this international event through a unique lens. The beginning of the year was marked by grieving the loss of sports legend and icon Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna. Several weeks later, our day to day normalcy came to an immediate halt with a mandatory quarantine across the nation. As we were stuck indoors, stripped of many of our social and professional routines, we witnessed the killings of Ahmaud Aubrey, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd and the resulting global awakening to systemic racism directed towards Black Americans.

Andrew Smith and Tristan Lewis noticed the effects of these events on their peers and wanted to do something. The action resulted in creating a space for Black and Brown men in Chicago to work through the traumas of 2020 and beyond while exploring traumas that might be hindering their personal growth and development. Fueled by an undeniable moment in history, The Healing was born. What started as a weekly session for yoga and fellowship that has evolved into a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and community of men who are striving for personal greatness to impact their communities.